DogNut

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DogNut is one of the main characters in The Dead and the central character of The Fear. He started out as part of Jordan Hordern's gang at the Imperial War Museum but later moved to the Tower Of London after the fire at the end of The Dead. He seems to be constantly alert by constantly stepping from foot to foot.

Role in the Books

DogNut plays a major role in the books. The main reason being that he starts the chain of events that affect the rest of the story in The Fear; though chronologically this would have taken place before The Enemy and after The Dead.

Though DogNut technically appears in The Enemy, his identity and name are not mentioned, so he is assumed to be an unimportant character.

The Dead

At first, Jordan Hordern says the bus group can't stay at the museum because there isn't enough food and other supplies, he then tells them they can stay, but they have to look for their own food, DogNut helps the coach kids search for food in south London. He assists them when they go looking for food, and also mentions some good places to go to. They end up going to Tesco's but find it empty. As they are about to leave, they find out there is a Tesco's lorry around the back of the supermarket, which they then spend some time attempting to steal. DogNut helps Justin the "nerd" drive the lorry and by working together manage to drive the lorry back to The Imperial War Museum. Along the way, the group is left by Jack, Bam and Ed who are going to try and get to Jack's house.

Later when Ed returns to the museum, DogNut expresses concern and slight grief at hearing of Jack and Bam's deaths, saying that they were good guys. When David (a boy who helped Ed return to the Museum, also an antagonist of the series) demands to speak with the leader of the Museum, Jordan talks to him in his office upstairs. Whilst they are discussing some issues, DogNut and the rest of the Museum kids get into an argument with David's red blazer kids. They are ultimately told to calm down by David and Jordan.

DogNut also helps Ed to let Frederique escape out of the Museum by getting his boys into a line leading to the door, and David's boys on the opposite side allowing them to funnel Frederique out of the Museum. As DogNut watches Frederique disappear into the city he notice's the fire coming from somewhere in south London and spreading their way. He also notices the great exodus of kids from South London.

As everyone is deciding how they are going to escape the fire, DogNut decides to stay loyal to Jordan and stays with him and the rest of the Museum kids. He wishes Ed good luck and then remains with Jordan.

DogNut is later in a chapter in which we see the Museum caught by the fire and the adults also coming up, trying to escape the fire. The chapter ends with DogNut drawing his katana and yelling, "They're in!".

In a later chapter whist, Ed is fighting a mass amount of grown-ups, DogNut and the rest of the Museum kids lead by Jordan help him defeat them. DogNut, Ed, Jordan and his boys, and some other kids who stayed behind to fight off the adults and give everyone else a chance, manage to make it onto a boat and get part way along the Thames. But part way through; Matt and his Acolytes attack Jordan who is steering the ship, and the ship is smashed against the bottom of the bridge and ship begins to sink. Some of the kids manage to throw lifeboats over and make it safely into them, DogNut and Ed and Jordan included.

After drifting down the Thames for a bit; they manage to haul themselves in at The Tower of London, where they manage to break into to take control. Jordan bullies the current leader of the Tower, into giving him control and the make the Tower their new home.

A year later, DogNut reveals to Ed he plans on leaving the Tower with a team of other kids in search for other groups of kids around London and also to find their missing friends, (DogNut searching for Brooke, whom he has a crush on). The next book, The Fear, is about DogNut's quest to find their friends and is set roughly a few days before the beginning of The Enemy.

The Fear

The Fear begins with DogNut dreaming of a scavenging raid he went on with Ed, Kyle and a boy called Leo. They go into a bank and the floor gives way and they fall through into a pit of adults, who then kill and eat Leo. DogNut manages to escape with Ed and Kyle, but is deeply upset by it. He wakes up and cries, as it was a memory and not just a dream.

The next day him and his team are packing up the boat they plan on rowing up the Thames to Lambeth bridge, when he says farewell to Ed and Jordan, the latter saying he'll keep his job open for him if he comes back. DogNut and his team then row up the Thames. His team is comprised of Courtney from The Dead, Marco and Felix, who are his best mates, Finn, a tall, strong kid who has an injured and infected arm, Al, an ugly boy who is usually grumpy, Olivia a small girl who is looking for her brother and appears to be scared of just about anything, and Jessica, who is just coming because she broke up with her boyfriend.

They make it to The Houses of Parliament and meet the kids there. They also stop Carl and some of the St. James Squatters from raiding the Parliament kids. They then continue on their way to Buckingham Palace and along the way are attacked by a group of incredibly strong sickos called "Gym Bunnies". They are saved however by a group of kids called "The Hunters" who are lead by a tough boy called Ryan. Ryan and DogNut seem to get along straight away and Ryan says he'll help them make it to the Palace for free. Once at the Palace DogNut and David come to an argument as DogNut doesn't want to stay and just wants to find Brooke, but David wants to be in control and is bitter towards Brooke for leaving him on the bridge in The Dead.

After David tries to "persuade" them to stay, and also imply he could force them to stay, DogNut and his team decide to escape, with the exception of Jessica and Al, who both wish to stay. DogNut and the rest of his gang are attempting to make it across a small portion of London from The Palace to The Natural History Museum. But along the way are chased by a large number of adults, forcing them to take shelter in a house. Whilst there they are attacked by the Collector, a large adult who disgraces the dead bodies of children as well as collecting many items. In the house, Felix loses his sword, and Courtney loses her spear. The group manages to escape with the exception of Olivia who is trapped by the Collector and ultimately commits suicide by jumping out of the window of the building.

DogNut, who is upset about leaving Olivia behind, attempts to go back for her but is stopped by Finn, who explains it's not anyone's fault Olivia died other than the Collector's. In the end, they make it to the Natural History Museum, where they find Brooke and the rest of the kids from the coach. Whilst there, DogNut is woken by Olivia's brother Paul, who is desperate to find her and goes crazy once he finds out she died. He then asks DogNut to help him kill the Collector. DogNut promises he will, before returning to sleep, feeling happy.

After killing the Collector, Paul goes crazy, he lets out the sickos from the basement of the museum. Later that day, DogNut's crew plans on leaving but is persuaded to stay another day. In that day, DogNut and his crew tell their stories to Chris Marker, who writes them down in a book titled "The Chronicles of Survival". The next day DogNut talks to Finn while cleaning his sword, Finn says he's staying because he thinks he isn't strong enough to go back yet. DogNut says goodbye to Finn and sets off with Marco, Felix, Courtney, and Brooke to the Tower of London while Robbie, Jackson, and other kids from the museum escort them halfway. They are then ambushed by the Gym Bunnies at Green Park and a fight breaks out. Robbie gets seriously injured and DogNut tells Jackson to go back with him, and that they'll catch up. The fight continues at Green Park until The Holloway crew comes and kills the Gym Bunnies. However; Marco, Felix and Courtney were already killed. In his final moments, Brooke tells him "You still have a chance", he replies with "I knew it". DogNut then dies in Brooke's arms, after defending her from the Gym Bunnies.

Relationships

• Parents - His parents are not often mentioned, though in The Fear, before dying, he has a conversation with his mother who is concerned that he may die alone.
• Jordan - DogNut is a general to Jordan, as stated in his first appearance. He respects Jordan, but they cannot be considered friends.
• Ed - The extent of DogNut and Ed's friendship is unknown, but they are friends and have fought alongside each other.
• Kyle - As with Ed, not much is known about DogNut and Kyle's relationship, although they do seem to get on well.
• Courtney - Courtney fancied DogNut, this became clear at the start of the third book, however, DogNut does not find this out until Brooke tells him in the museum. DogNut is shocked and accidentally makes Courtney upset. When he talks to her, he describes girls as being "too deep" for him and that he may need to make "a few adjustments". When DogNut and Courtney are about to depart from the Natural History Museum he kisses her on the lips, "the briefest of kisses". Courtney asks why, and DogNut says he's in a "good mood", and Courtney kisses him back. When Courtney sees DogNut and Brooke holding hands, she gets angry and picks on some lone sickos. It turns out to be a trap, and they become cornered in Green Park Station. As Courtney starts to become overwhelmed, DogNut kisses her again and states he loves her, and Courtney says she loves him back.
• Brooke - As soon as DogNut met Brooke, he fancied her. This was not a secret as DogNut followed her around like a "fart-cloud" constantly. When they get split up at the Battle of Lambeth Bridge, DogNut sets off from the Tower on a quest to find her. When he does, Brooke still shows no interest. Only when DogNut is dying for her, does Brooke realise how much she loves him and tells him he stills has "a chance". He replies with "I knew it".

Death

When the gym bunnies set a trap for the kids by Green Park Station, DogNut is stabbed in the side "between his breastplate and his backpack" with Marco's dagger, wielded by the Mother with the sunglasses. He dies defending Brooke on his last legs.